Patterns of drug resistance in cases of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Giza and Cairo governorates

BackgroundPulmonary tuberculosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality World Wide, resulting in the greatest number of deaths due to any other single infectious agent. Drug resistance threatens global tuberculosis control efforts. Multi drug resistance means drug resistance to at least rifampicin and isoniazid.MethodsOne hundred and nineteen sputum and culture positive patients underwent drug susceptibility to the first line drugs (Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Streptomycin and Ethambutol). 79/119 patients in addition underwent drug susceptibility to Pyrizinamide, Ofloxacin, Amikacin and Levofloxacin.ResultsThe susceptibility test shows that 35/119 patients (29.4%) were sensitive to all the tested drugs. 84/119 of the included patients (70.6%) showed drug resistance to at least one of the first line drugs by different patterns. 29/119 patients were diagnosed as MDR cases with a percent of 31% (resistant to both INH and Rifampcin).ConclusionThis study shows increase incidence of resistance to first line drugs as well as increase incidence of MDR.